Battery cable and connecter



' BATTERY cABLE AND CONNECTER Filed July 25, 1936 2 sneaks-sheet 1 AIl Marh15,1938. AHM/11.51; 2,111,101 `BATTERY CABLE AND CONNECTER Filed Juiy 25, 195e 2 sheets-sheet 2 -fl 50 55 E112-16:35 5

IN V EN TOR.

tery posts in which ends of a cable having Patented Mar. 19138 UNITED STATE BATTERY. CABLE AND' commenta Albert H. Walde, I direct and mesne Arnold Berman,

phia, Pa.

Philadelphia, Pa., assignor, by assignments, of one-third to Philadelphia, Pa., third to Carrie E. Hohl,

and one- Upper Darby, Philadel- Application July 25, 1936, Serial Nb. 92,650 f 1 Claim.

connecter which embrace thestorage battery post for imparting a high degree of tensile strength and low electrical resistivity.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction of non-corrosive battery cable and connecter having a minimum number of parts substantially free from detrimental edects of corrosion and eliminating the necessity of establishing a separate connection between the connecter and the cable. n

Still another; object of vmy invention is to provide a construction of connecter for storage batthe metal forming the connecter may be cast directly around the stranded the ends thereof spread and shaped to conform with the contour of they storage battery post with which the connecter is designed to cooperate.

A further.. object of my invention is to provide a construction of connecter for storage battery posts in-whlch the stranded ends of a cable are preformed to conform with the shape of the storage battery post with which the connecter is designed to coact and non-corrosive metal cast directly around the cable so that the stranded portions of the cable form the c ore of the jaws of the connecter thereby imparting a high degree of tensile strength and relative resilience to. the jaws facilitating the insertion and removal of the connecter from the storage battery post.

A still furtherv object-oi my iiviventionv is to provide a method oi making a connecter, having stranded wire cored jaws, for storage' battery posts in which a multiplicity of connecters may be made simultaneously by process of casting inexpensively on a quantity production basis.

.Other andv further objects of my .invention reside in the process of making electrical connecters and the improved construction thereof as set forth more fully in the specification hereinafter following by reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which: l

y Figure lpis a top plan .View of a portion of a battery cable. being spaced apart to form the stranded core of the lawsv of the connecter in substantially the line and substantially align the of the cable are em- Vbedded in the material forming thejaws of the the strands comprising thel cable f n shape which' they assume when embedded within the cable terminal; Fig. 2 is a similar view with vlow melting point metallic form retaining s Prirsri're oI-Flcls bands vapplied to the ends of the strands to constrands during the process of casting; Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the cable terminal with the terminal connecter shown in dotted lines; Fig. 5 is a similar view showingv the strands embedded within the cable connecter,- the low melting point Ametallic bands encircling the ends of the strands having melted and become an integral part of the molded battery terminal casting; Fig.6 is -a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the bifurcated 'ends of the terminal drilled to receive the securing bolt; Fig. 7 is a S similar view showing the battery `terminal provided with the clamping bolt and fastened to a conventional storage battery post; Fig. 8 vis a sectional view taken substantially on line 't--t oi Fig. 7'; Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 9--9 oi Fig. 3; Fig. 101s a transverse vertical section taken on line Iiiiii of Fig. 3; Fig. 1l is a transverse vertical section taken on line H-ii of Fig. 7; Fig. 12 is a similar View.

Y taken on line i2i2 of Fig. 7; Fig. 13 is a top plan view showing the cable provided with 'an oiset connecter, substantially at right angles to. the cable; Fig. 14 is asimilar view showing the connecter in horizontal sectiomFlg. l5 is a sectional view showing a plurality oi cables clamped within the halves of a mold ready to receive the molten metal; Fig.I 16 is a tran erse vertical section taken on line it--lt of Fl 15; Fig. 17 is is a horizontal section taken substantially on line /l'l--il or Fig. 15; Fig. 18 is a horizontal section taken on line lt-it of Fig. l5; and Fig. 19 shows y a modied form of terminal embodying my in.- vention.

My invention is directed to an improved construction of cable connecter for storage battery terminals. l` provide a special construction of stranded flexible cable which is substantially iiat and substantially rectangular in cross section.

` Therectangular structure of cable is covered by insulation material which substantially conforms in contour to the structure of the cable: The relatively nat stranded conductor constituting the Vcable is separated into two substantially equal portions which are spread to substantially conform with the shape of the coacting jaws'of the'tlnished terminal connecter.

For purposes of maintaining the form of the separated 'portions of the stranded conductor, I provide an encircling band of metal having low melting point adapted to normally em'brace conne the strands in separated portions. The

cable thus prepared is laid in position inv a mold.

'I'he mold may be' of 'a variety of forms as the method of my invention is .adapted for die casting as well as permanent mold casting and poured mold operations. 'I'he construction of the mold is such that preformed recesses are provided in of the mold, defining .the shape of\thel terminal by means of the aligned recesses, is adapted to receive-the prepared battery cable. The separated portions of the stranded wire forming the cable are of such length as to extend substanmuy the entire length/of the finished battery terminal.- 'I'he separated stranded portions of the cable, each confined inposition by the band wrappers of low melting point metal, extend around the centralportion of the .coacting recesses in the aligned parts of the mold and upon opposite sides of that portion of the terminal,

which -ultimately forms the central aperture which receives the storage battery post. The insulation covering the stranded cable extends to a position substantially within the limits of the coacting recesses in the aligned parts of themold. Accordingly, when the metal is flowed in, the cable 4connecter is formed directly around the separated stranded portions of the cable conductor and directly around the end of 'the insulation forming a permanent unitary construction of high electrical conductivity and low resistivity. 'I'he cylindrical bore inthe j'aws of thestorage battery connecter through which the securing bolt is adapted to extend is drilled through the aligned jaws. The drill, cuts through not only the molded metal of the terminal but also through the stranded'conductors of the cable. There is thus obtained substantial electrical conductivity, substantially the entire length of the terminal connecter. This construction imparts not only good electrical conductivity to the terj minal but also mechanical strength and a high degree of resiliency. Thus the jaws of the ter'- minal may be clamped with respect to the-stor` age battery post when securing the cable in position and spread when removing the cable from the storagebattery post.

Because of the resiliency imparted to the jaws of the terminalby the embedded stranded conductors of the cable, I depend much less upon the inherent resiliency of the cast metal forming the terminal. In somehinstances, however, I employ a composition material of antirnony, tin, copper and lead which in itself provides a material of relatively h ighA resiliency. A wall strucl ture substantially the height of the terminal is formed on either side of the recess through which the storage vbattery post projects by the separated portions of the exible cable ,conductor. The spreadportions of the ilexible'cable Yconductor thus impart substantialstrength to the terminal.

I eliminate connecting devicesV between the y end of the cable and the terminal by directly forming the terminal on the spread portions of the cable thus eliminating undesirable corrosive ac tion so prevalent in storage battery terminals. A loose connection cannot develop between they cable and the terminal because the cable becomes an intimate part of the terminal in the structure of my invention.

The conning means or clips around the ends and line wire conductors.

are cast into thejaws of the terminal, are of material having a relatively low melting point. Under the .intense heat developed in the molding process, these 'clips lose their identity and iiow into the material constituting the molded jaws ofthe terminal.

The molded embedded wire terminal construction of my invention is adapted both to the elbow type terminal and the straight type terminal as well as to various forms of angularly disposed lug and strap type terminal connecters. v 'I'he important consideration inall of these forms is that the portions of the stranded conductors shall extend substantially the entire length of the terminal and around the jaws' which clamp the terminal to the storage battery post. i

Referring to the drawings in more detail, reference character l designates the exible stranded electrical conductor constituting the storage battery cable. 'I'he iiexible conductor I ,is formed by a plurality of separate strands. Each strand is formed by a multiplicity of twisted relatively j The strands constituting the cable are grouped in substantially. rectangular cross-section. The substantially rectangularv cross-section cable is covered by flexible insulation material indicated at 2. 'The insulation material 2 is cut away adjacent the end o f the cable, leaving the ilexible strands forming' the cable bare. The exible strands are separated into equal portions represented at 3 and 4. 'I'he separate portions of the exible cable are shaped to conform substantially with the contour of the jaws of the connecter vwhen iinally completed. That is to say, the strands 3 and 4 are separated in spaced relation to (form a substantially solid vertical wall or core structure. In order to main- Y tain the form of the spread and separated portions of the cable at 3- and 4, I provide metallic bands having the characteristic of low melting point, which bands encircle the core formed by the conductors at 3 and 4. The metallic bands are shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 9, 15, 16 and 18 at -5 and 6. The metallic band 5 embraces the strands 3 and has sufficient rigidity to maintain 'strands 3 in a substantially "vertical plane constituting a wallor core structure. The band 6 which encircles the iexible conductors 4 similarly maintains the conductors 4 in'a vertical plane symmetrically spaced vfrom the. plane of the conductors 3 on opposite sides of a central axis through the cable 2. The substantially vertical wall 0r core structure formed lby the separated portions of the flexible cable 3 and 4 is rst shaped to conform with the nal shape of the jaws of the'storage battery connecter indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 at 1. 'I'hat is to say, each of the groups of strands 3 and 4 are shaped as in Fig. 4v by imparting an outwardly extending convex curvature as represnted at 3a and 4a in an intermediate positionl between the Vextremities of the conductors and the end of the insulation material at 2. 'I'he extreme outer ends of the conductors at 3 and 4 remain in parallel spacial relation' clamped by the low melting point metallic clips shown at 5 and 6.

' The shaped end ofthe cable is, now ready-for the .to provide aligned metal -receiving portions 'indi'cated at Il and I2. The aligned metal receivshaped to the coning portions of themold are 'finally produced.

tour o! the connecter which is It will be seen that the coacting sections of the' mold l9 andi!) carry central core portions 'I4 and I adapted to be' `aligned with each other when 4 the mold sections are closed. 'I'he core portions I4 andll are each tapered so as to provide the required tapered bore in the connecter which fits around the storage battery post. The coconnected acting core` portions I4 and l5 are with the coa'ctng parts of the mold through webs I3 and I1 which -provide means in the mold for forming the gap between the ends of the jaws of the connecter. The coacting parts of the mold each have a semi-cylindrical recess in the aligned interior faces thereof as to` allow the insulation 2 of the cable to be clamped between the coacting parts of the mold.

The cable is so located in the mold that the insulation 2 projects interiorlyv into the mold so that when the metal flows into the-mold, the metal will ow wholly around `the insulation sheathing 2 of the cable forming a protection for the end of. the insulation on the cable.

It will be seen thatv the end of the cable preformed as in Fig. 4 is inserted in position in the multiple mold as shown, for example, in Fig. 15. The portions of the cable at 3 and 4 are separated to extend substantially through a central zone in' each 'of the recesses in the coacting parts of the mold with the low melting point metallic clips 5 and 6 maintaining the shape ofthe strands of the cable projecting into the mold. When the ends of the cable are positioned in the mold, as shown in Fig. 15, for example, the non-corrosive metal from which the connecter is formed is ready to be poured intothe molds through suitable gates which I have indicated at 20, individual to each of the molds.

' The parts 8 and 9'of the mold are maintained in closed kaligned position by means ofv a suitable clamp device which I have indicated at 2l. The molten iluid metal flows around the core portions 3 and 4 of the cable and fills the space on either side of the cable and between the side' walls ofthe mold andthe wall formed by the' portions of the cable 3 and 4 and between the central coacting core portions I4 and I5. The intense heat of the uid metal melts the metallic bands 5 and E so that the metallic bands 5 and 3 d losel their identity and rlow into the material. constituting the molded jaws of /the te inal. The condition of the casting just after the molding process is illustrated in Fig. 5 in which the portions of the cable at 3 and 4 are illustrated as forming an extended core for the coacting jaws of the terminal 22 substantially the entire length of the terminal. The terminal 22 is shown having parallel extending spaced faces on either side of. the central axis of the terminal.

The terminal 22 is now ready for boring and as V illustrated in Fig. 6 a transverse passage is drilled through the jaws of the terminal at 24. This operation actually cuts through some of the conductors of the portions 3 andr 4 of the cable as indicated at 3b and 4b in Fig.' 6. Nevertheless,

suicient core structure formed by the portions 3 and 4 of the cable remains to impart strength to the jaws ofi the terminal substantially to the extreme limits. of the ends thereof.

The terminal 22 is adapted to be lengaged over the "storage .battery post as indicated in Figs. 1, 8 and 11 at 25. The storage battery post 25 is tapered and the coacting aperture molded in terminal 22 is correspondingly tapered. A clampcore structure provided by porti .-3 and 4 Vembedded inthe indicated at I8 andIS ing bolt 21 extends through the transverse passage 24 in the jaws ofthe terminal. yThe clamping bolt 21 has a head 28 on one end and is screwthreaded at 29 on the opposite end to receive nut 30. By turning nut 30 tapered cylindrical side walls 26 ofthe jaws of the terminal are brought into more intimate engagement with the tapered side walls of the storage battery post 25. Becausev of the yieldablev character of the ons ofthe cable jaws of the terminal the material of the jaws is sufcientiy resilient to facilitate clamping of the terminal on the post and the removal of the terminal from the post by spreading of the jaws. f

As heretofore illustrated, the terminal of my invention is constructed in straight form. It will be understood that the principles of my inven, tion are equally applicable to other forms of terminals, one o! vwhich I have illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14. In this arrangement the terminal indicatedat 3| is provided with an angularly disposed connecting' portion 3 2 through which the stranded portions of the cable 33 extend as illustrated in lig.-1i=. The stranded cable 33 has .the strands thereof divided into two portions 34 and 35 which form cores for the coacting jaws of the insulation 36 thereof extending into the molded structure of the'V connecter 32 thereby preventing corrosive attack of acid upon the conthe terminal. The cable' 33 hasv ductors ofthe cable. Th'e separated portions of `which the clamping bolt 39 extends.

AIn some instances, I construct thei terminal in a manner which eliminates the necessity of drilling the transverse passages 24 by casting thel metal of the terminal directly around a transverse core member. A terminal constructed in this manner is shown in Fig. 19. It will be seen that the strandsA 3 and 4 of the conductor are allowed to terminate short' of the transverse passages 24 invthis construction-and thus avoid obstruction to the transverse core member. lOther strands of the conductor may extend beyond, above and/or below, the passages 24, as in the other forms of my invention.

Inasmuc-h as fthe 'copper wire, forming the strands ,of the cable forms a relatively large portion of the jaws of the connecter, the composition of the terminal of my invention, though l including an alloy poured in approximately 34% lead, 2% copper, 5% tin the proportion of and 9% antimony, actually consists, when in cast form, of approximately 15% lead, 5% tin and antimony and copper. The presence of such a large amount of copper throughout the jaws of the connecter greatly increases the electrical conductivity of the connecter and reduces resistivity thereby yincreasing the emciency of the cable. It will be understood 'that the copper Wire does not enter into -the alloy forming the cast, but is considered included in the 80% copper noted inthe completed terminal on a simple quantitative lbasis only; that is, the 80% noted includes the large amount of free copper in the wires and the small percentage contained in th'e alloy. As the free copperconstitutes a large portion of the completed terminal, theA quantity of alloy, and the proportions of its components, are relatively reduced.

I have found' the construction of the cable and connecter of my invention -highly practical for inexpensive manufacture on a quantity producmodications may be made andthat no limitations upon my invention are intended other than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claim. I

What I claim as new and desire to secure by -Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is as follows: t

The method of making a storage battery terminal which comprises baring the ends of an insmated'stmded cable. dividing tnevstrvanded ends of the' cable into two symmetrlcalportions dis-` posed in substantially parallel planes on opposite sides of a central axis extending through the cable. conining the strands of the cable forming the said symmetrical portions by metallic Hands of low melting I y lng the symmetrical portions of the strands to substantially conform withthe contour of a storage battery post, centering the preformed cable in a shaped mold, pouring molten metal into the shaped mold and around the preformed cable for melting the low temperature bands and forminga terminal directly around the strands of l ALBERT H.. WALDE.

the cable.

int characteristic', shaD-' 

